Until the Day I Die
by Princess Jilla
Summary: She looked up into his ice cold eyes, as the firelight danced on his skin. 'Hermione…' echoed the very voice she had longed to hear.6th year, A DH HG fic, Harry is jealous driving himself to insanity. If you liked my others, this ones a goodie!
1. The beginning

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters nor am I making any money off of them.  
  
Please review when you've done reading…I'd really appreciate it J!  
  
Hermione had a summer that was long, without any news from any other friends other then Harry and Ron. She was terribly lonely, and she was prepared for it this 6th year as she had the years before to be the same. She sat without a lot of anticipation on the train ride to Hogwarts, for she knew it was going to be the same as the previous years. But after all, school was for learning, not socializing, right?  
  
Hermione ran her slender fingers through her long, straight hair. Over the summer she had experimented with a spell that made her unruly hair become silky and curly. She found that she rather liked it, and that it somewhat flattered her appearance. The curtain opened and a figure with black hair came into her compartment. It sat down across from her, and smiled.  
  
"Hermione! Someone is serving the best candy up at the front of the train. They got it from their trip to America." Harry noted Hermione wasn't looking at him, but she was looking out of the window sadly. "Just thought you might want to know." Hermione nodded, and Harry brushed hair out of her pretty face. She looked at him, and Harry's heart leapt. He couldn't bear to look into those big, brown eyes without feeling the urge to kiss her. He held back that urge, as then Ron stormed into the compartment.   
  
"Hello, Hermione, hello Harry!" he said cheerfully but then his face turned into a frown after seeing Hermione so solemn. He was about to speak but Harry shot him a look that said, no----don't.   
  
Hermione sighed, and Ron sat next to her. She looked at him, and smiled, wiping a tear from her eye. Ron put his arm around her, and even though Harry knew it was just a friendly gesture, he felt a strong feeling in his stomach. Ron sensed something as he looked at Harry, but Harry shot his glance away to the floor, trying to hide his jealousy. Ron frowned, and looked back to his friend.  
  
They rode in silence through the rest of the way to Hogwarts. When they arrived, Hermione did not follow the boys into the Great Hall for the sorting, but she went straight to her room, alone. She walked quickly though the halls, noticing how dark they were, only lit by a few wall candles. She saw a dark figure coming in the opposite direction, and her muscles tightened. It was walking very fast and steadily. When it got closer, she could make out the shape of a tall, slender male. As he walked past her, she made eye contact with those of icy blue, chilling her bones and sending a shiver up her spine. He then walked on, leaving only Hermione behind watching him as he went. She lost her breath and she could not feel any part of her body. She continued walking, not believing what she had just seen. That was no Malfoy. That, who had just walked by her, was something…like the most beautiful creature she had seen. There was no word for him. Yes, she had noticed how Ron and Harry had grown over the summer and how they had changed, but they were nothing compared to Malfoy.   
  
When she arrived at Gryffindor, she went right into her room and sat on her bed, holding her knees, thinking about him. Why was she acting like this? It was just Malfoy after all…but it wasn't. There was more. And she couldn't wait to go to sleep and get up the next morning, to see that heavenly creature again.  
  
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	2. My Hermione

Hermione lay awake for about an hour, thinking and thinking, her brain not shutting down for a second. She did, however, sleep peacefully through the night when she did happen to fall asleep. When she awoke, her thoughts fluttered to her dream that she had that night…  
  
_"Hermione…" echoed the very voice she had longed to hear. She looked up into his ice cold eyes, as the firelight danced on his skin in the dimness of the room. He lay next to her, propped on one arm, and she could make out his chiseled chest…  
  
His hand stroked her face, until it reached her hair which he twirled around his fingers. He smiled as if he was the happiest here with her than anywhere else in the world. Hermione blushed and looked into his eyes…  
  
"My Hermione…."_  
  
She sighed, and got out of bed. _This is ridiculous_, she thought. Malfoy is the most foul, bad tempered bastard at this school, perhaps one of the most in the world. But that did not make her stomach cease the butterflies it felt when she thought of him. Hermione walked into the bathroom, and got ready. She put a make-up charm on her, which she only did when she had somewhere important to go or when she just wanted to feel prettier. She made sure her curly hair was in place and tamed before she left the room. As she walked into the common room, she saw Harry and Ron playing an early morning game of chess. Ron cheered as he placed his next piece, while Harry scowled. Hermione laughed to herself.  
  
"How's the game going, guys?" She asked, coming toward them. Harry rolled his eyes, while Ron prepared to tell Hermione of him achievement.  
  
"Wonderful. And I see someone is a little late this morning?" Ron asked, and Hermione made a face.  
  
"What do you mean late?"  
  
"It's almost time to go out for breakfast, Usually, you're out here before us," Harry yawned as he stood up. Hermione smiled.  
  
"Oops. I was in a deep sleep."  
  
"I bet you were!" Ron said laughing. He pushed Harry in the direction of the door. "Let's go, I'm starving!"  
  
Hermione followed them down stairs, as her stomach turned over knots after knots. Her nervousness overcame her ability to have a normal conversation with the boys, as they noticed how little she spoke or how she stammered.  
  
"Hermione what is wrong with you this morning? It's not like we have a test you have to worry about…it's not like it's the first day of school you know," Ron said questioningly, Hermione managed an uneasy smile, and she looked down.  
  
"Guys, nothing is wrong with me. The first day just has me in a jitter, I guess…" she stopped as she looked into the Great Hall at him, sitting alone at his table. Ron and Harry turned to see who she was gaping at, but she turned her head before they could ask any questions. They looked at each other as if saying, '_What??_'  
  
Hermione went quickly to sit down, but the boys lingered behind. Ron pulled Harry over to the side, as they both felt a need to discuss what they had just seen.  
  
"Why was Hermione staring over there at the Slytherin table like that? The only one in that direction was _Malfoy_…" Harry said quietly. Ron nodded.  
  
"Did you see the way she looked at him?" Ron winced, and they both looked over at the Slytherin boy. "It was as if she was frozen or something."  
  
"Let's just forget about this, I'm sure it was nothing," Harry pretended to not care at how she looked at Malfoy. What interest would she have in him, anyway? He was nothing but…Malfoy. Harry knew that alone was reason enough to turn any girl off. Harry shook his head and went to follow Ron as he sat at the Gryffindor table.   
  
After breakfast, Hermione spun around to see which was he had gone. He was no where in sight. She wanted to follow him, but she realized she had a class to go to. Snape's class. Hermione sighed, and walked toward her first class. When she arrived, she saw the class had already filled up, and she realized how slow she had been walking to the class. She silently cursed herself for being so stupid.   
  
"Miss Granger…." Snape smoothly said as she rushed into the classroom. Hermione nodded. She started to say something, but Snape cut her off.  
  
"Go sit in the nearest available seat!"  
  
Hermione looked frantically, and she saw one seat in the back that no one was sitting in. There were two of them, and Hermione quickly sat in one. Snape signed annoyingly, and he frowned.   
  
"Mr. Malfoy! Have you decided to fit us into your busy schedule?"  
  
Hermione darted her head to the opposite side of the classroom, as he walked in. Snape pointed over to her area of the room, and her whole body tensed up. Malfoy didn't even glance her way, but he walked briskly over to her. She watched him, his every move as he took the seat next to her on the aisle. She realized she couldn't just stare at him, and she averted her eyes to Snape instead. She felt the perspiration on her brow and everywhere else she could sweat. She lost her breath, and her heart beat faster and louder than a drum band. She tried her best to write her notes and listen to Snape, but it was so hard for her to concentrate with him sitting next to her…  
  
He did not speak to her, and to her knowledge he did not look at her. She wouldn't have noticed if he was doing a trapeze act, she was so nervous just with him next to her. 'How will I be able to do ANYTHING in this class with him sitting next to me!?' Hermione panicked. She had begun tapping her pencil loudly and quickly on the desktop.   
  
"How is one supposed to work if one is tapping so loudly, Granger…" his deep voice said tonelessly and quietly. He did not look at her, but Hermione immediately stopped tapping and she looked at him.   
  
"I…I'm…s-sorry," Hermione whispered, and she felt like she was going to throw up everything she had ever eaten in her life.  
  
"It's alright," he muttered, and Hermione gasped for breath. She looked over at him, sitting right there next to her. His hair, perfect, except for a few strands falling over his face. He worked steadily, and Hermione gaped at his manly figure. He was broad shouldered, and his face looked as if he was an angel. Dressed in all black, and seeing him like this made her feel like her body was on fire. She was short on breath and she could not see clearly, and her knees felt as if when she stood up, she would fall.   
  
The time came to switch classes, and he got up. Hermione watched him gather his things, and he then sped off, his cloak flying wildly at his quick feet. She closed her eyes, and she breathed in deep. What was this feeling? She surely had never felt this way about a male before. She had liked boys, and dated Viktor Krum, but he was nothing and the others were nothing compared to him. She never knew she could feel like this, ever in her whole life. She wished to counted the seconds, milliseconds before she could lay her eyes upon this creature of divine beauty again.  
  
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	3. Malfoy

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Hermione, after class, had to rush to the next one because she had delayed herself by staring at Malfoy. She was running along the corridor, trying to keep her things from falling, when she collided into a hard, big figure. She was looking down, but she immediately dropped all her books from the collision.   
  
"I'm so sorry!" She cried out as she bent over, scurrying to pick up what she had dropped. She watched a pale hand gather some of the books and hand them to her. She swallowed, hard. Her eyes inched upward, for she knew who had stopped to help her AND who she had bumped into.   
  
As she looked into those cold, icy eyes, a chill went through her entire body. She smiled nervously and continued to pick up her things.  
  
"Thank you…" she whispered, and he handed her the rest of the books. He nodded, and stood up. Hermione felt a rush, and she put her hand up. "Wait!"  
  
He stopped, and looked at her, expressionless. Hermione just stared at him for a second, and then she shook her head nervously.  
  
"Nothing, sorry," she looked down and as she stood up, heard him briskly walk away. Hermione sighed sadly as she watched him, and she made her way to the next class.  
  
He was not in her next class, however, Harry and Ron were. She was unusually quiet during the lab, and Harry noticed this. He and Ron knowingly looked at each other, then Ron spoke up.  
  
"Hermione, you have been acting really strange today. You can tell us whatever is going on with you because we are kind of worried!" Ron insisted. Hermione looked nervously at them, and she managed a small smile.  
  
"Nothing is wrong, I told you. Just drop it," she said with a little annoyance. Harry backed away from her a little, and Ron put his hands up.  
  
"Ok, sorry.." Ron mumbled, opening his eyes wide.  
  
Hermione did not speak for the rest of class, afraid that they might question her some more about her odd behavior. That was not what she wanted to discuss, for she didn't even really know. Her mind was in a stir, she was so confused about her new coming feelings. At dinner, she hardly touched her food, and she stared over at the Slytherin table, just hoping for a glance of him. She didn't see him though, and when half of dinner had passed, she quickly got up and walked out fast. Harry and Ron tried not to notice, but Harry brought her up anyway.  
  
"What on earth is the matter with her? She has never acted like this before," Harry seriously stated, cutting up his food.  
  
"I know, and remember this morning, the way she was looking at Malfoy? Weird," Ron chewed on his food. Harry looked in the direction of which she left. His face turned a scarlet color. Ron chuckled.  
  
"Harry! You're turning red!" Ron laughed, and that only caused the color on Harry's cheeks to deepen.  
  
"Shut it, Ron," Harry mumbled, trying to not draw attention to themselves.  
  
"Oh, is someone a little jealous? Well, don't worry Harry, I won't tell!" Ron quieted his laughing as he stuffed more food into his mouth.  
  
"What would she see in _Malfoy_, anyway? She wouldn't. She wouldn't see anything in him," Harry looked over to the direction of his table, not seeing him. '_Did she go and follow him, wherever he went?_' Harry thought, then shaking his head. _'She probably had to use the restroom, is all.'_  
  
Hermione tried to think. If she was him, where would she go? She was not about to check in Slytherin, so she hoped he would just we wandering around the main school corridors. She walked down near the library, and opened the big heavy door. It was dark in there, but she crept in, hoping no one else was in there. Even if she found nothing, she needed a quiet place to think.   
  
As she walked, she heard something drop in the Restricted section. As she whipped her head around, she saw the door close, and she ran after whoever it was. She ran out of the library, and saw a dark figure flash around the corner, heading toward the Potions classrooms. She ran after it, until they were in a very dark corridor. The figure stopped, and abruptly turned around.  
  
"Why are you following me," he asked. Hermione trembled.  
  
"I..I don't know," she stammered. She started to turn around to leave, when he stepped forward.  
  
"Yes, you know why,"  
  
Hermione didn't turn to face him. What was she supposed to say? '_Oh, I've been stalking you because I have fallen in love with you, Draco._' That wouldn't go over well. She searched in her mind for something to say, anything at all, but she could think of no excuse.  
  
"You must have noticed I was not at dinner, and followed me into the library, and you have chased me here. Why?"   
  
His tone was not angry; but he did not really have a tone of voice. He spoke very clearly, with just a hint of questioning. Hermione turned her head to face him, staring right into those eyes, intriguing her, shaking her whole body. She shook her head, for she was still without an answer for him.   
  
"Potter put you up to this, didn't he. I should have known," he said solemnly, shaking his head back so his hair would fall back into place. Hermione shook her head, unable to speak.   
  
"Then why are you here."  
  
The candlelight danced on his face, as it had done in her dream. She pictured him on that bed next to her, him stroking her hair, saying her name…Now he was illuminated in the shadows so to speak, and the seductiveness he had captured her every fiber in her body. What she would give to pour her heart out, but she knew if she spoke of her true feelings, whatever they were, he would reject her entirely.   
  
"I'm sorry," she whispered, and that was all she could manage to say. He nodded.  
  
"It's alright," he stated simply, without anger or rudeness. "You'd better get back though, before they notice you are gone. You could get in trouble."  
  
"You, too," Hermione said, motioning towards him. He shook his head.  
  
"No one would notice if I was gone," He turned his head and smiled, laughing a little.  
  
"I did," Hermione looked him straight in the eyes as he faced her, turning his head at her statement. Hermione looked down, and took a deep breath. He started closer to her, she looked up into his eyes as he did. He was less than 2 feet from her, towering at least 6 feet, and she could see him more clear than ever. Her heart raced, barely standing it.   
  
"I see that," he whispered. Her knees went weak, making her feel like falling over. She felt as if she were flying, hovering, for she could not feel her feet.   
  
_How beautiful she is…how she would never want me.  
_  
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	4. Late Night

A/N: Draco is OOC a little because of the following reasons: he is so distraught about his home life that he has basically given up. Hermione has yet to really piss him off, for one thing, but he still does have his temper. I'm glad you all like my story, it means so much to me! Keep reviewing, and I'll keep writing every day.  
  
Suddenly, the two heard footsteps coming toward them from down the hall. A look of panic was shown on Hermione's face, for she knew they would get in trouble for being out of dinner.  
  
"Come with me," Draco whispered, and motioned for her to follow him. Hermione quickly nodded, and she followed him as he raced down the hall.   
  
"Where are we going?" she said as quietly as she could, as he pointed toward Slytherin. Hermione looked shocked. "Why Slytherin?"  
  
"No, we're not going there. Just follow me," he responded, and he turned an abrupt corner down a narrow corridor that Hermione had never taken before. He stopped running and leaned against a wall in the shadows. Hermione went next to him, and although she could not see him very well, she could hear his deep breaths and his steady, strong heartbeat. She guessed he could hear hers, because he turned his head to look at her. Neither of them could speak, so they just looked at each other.   
  
They heard the footsteps approaching their corridor from the one they ran out of, and they both looked to see who the person they were running from was. Snape. Hermione let out a sigh of relief when he had walked past, and she almost fell over from exhaustion. She was surprised when two strong arms caught her, and pulled her up again. She looked into his eyes, and although she was standing, he did not stop holding her. He released his arms, and cleared his throat a little.  
  
"Sorry….are you alright now," he said, not looking at her, but out at the corridor to see if anyone else was coming. Hermione, disappointed that he let go, sighed, but she nodded to indicate she was not going to pass out or anything. He nodded, and stepped out to see for once and all if they should go back out. Hermione guessed the coast was clear, because he motioned for her to follow him back out.  
  
As they walked back to the Great hall, neither spoke. Hermione did look up to him once and a while, to study his exquisite face, and she had to draw her eyes away because he was that magnificent. What she would give…  
  
When they reached the hall, they split apart, each walking to their own tables. Harry noticed that they came in together, and his hands balled into fists. Hermione took a seat next to him, and he turned away.   
  
"Hello, guys…I just had to use the bathr…" she was cut off.  
  
"Yeah, and was Malfoy in there with you? Helping you piss?" Harry angrily spat, leaving Ron and Hermione stunned. She winced.  
  
"Wh-what? What did you say to me?" she asked, not wanting to believe what her best friend just said to her. Harry snorted.  
  
"You heard me."  
  
Ron looked at Hermione to Harry, and back again. His mouth was open, him being in complete disbelief also. Dinner ended then, and Hermione made an angry face, storming out. Ron went up next to Harry, wanting to ask him what just happened.  
  
"Harry! Why did you say that to her?" Ron exclaimed, visibly shaken. Harry pushed his arm.  
  
"You saw them come in with each other. You saw the way she looked at him this morning. It doesn't take a genius to put 2 and 2 together!" Harry yelled, and some people stared. Ron shook his head, and ran after Hermione. He needed to ask her what she was doing with Malfoy. It was very strange that she was with him, but he knew Harry was totally over reacting.  
  
"Hermione!" Ron called, and Hermione stopped and turned to face him. She grabbed his hand.  
  
"Not here. My room," she stated, and she dragged him up to Gryffindor as fast as possible. Harry watched from a distance, arms folded across his newly broaded chest. As soon as they reached Gryffindor, Hermione drug Ron into her room, locking the door. She sat on the bed, and he did the same. It took them a moment to catch their breath, but then Ron started in on the questions.  
  
"Hermione, will you please tell me WHY you were with Malfoy?"  
  
"It is not what you think, we just almost got into some trouble."  
  
"And you came in together?"  
  
"We had to hide from Snape, it was our only option."  
  
"Well, why were you out there in the first place? You looked to the Slytherin table and out you went."  
  
Hermione thought for a second. She wasn't sure if she wanted to admit her feelings to Ron, for she was afraid he might tell Harry.  
  
"Ron, yes, I went to find him. I noticed he was gone, and that's why I left."  
  
"But why? Harry hates Malfoy, and I thought you did too!"  
  
Hermione sighed, and looked at Ron. He opened his eyes up wide.  
  
"S-s-so what, is there something else?"  
  
Hermione didn't say anything. Ron shook his head.  
  
"No, please, no. Hermione, he's MALFOY! The one who teases you, the one who calls you all those filthy things! Have you forgotten, just because you see his beauty, that he is no less than what he has been to you, ever? He has not changed along with his looks! I can not believe you are that shallow!"   
  
"Ron, no…he was different! I can just feel it!"  
  
"Yeah, in your thighs.."  
  
Hermione looked down at the floor.   
  
"I didn't expect you to understand, Ron."  
  
Ron looked at her with disgust, and he slammed the door on his way out. Hermione's eyes welled up with tears, and she fell back onto her bed. It was probably all for nothing; Draco probably felt nothing for her! Ron was probably right, he didn't change any. She knew this little obsession in her head had made her lose Harry and Ron in the same day, when Draco still most likely thought of their little escapade that night as nothing at all, just skipping trouble with the Mudblood. This thought made her cry even harder, and she realized soon the girls would be coming into the room to sleep. She needed to get out and think, or better yet, find that Malfoy and tell him how he screwed her friendship over.  
  
Hermione dried her tears the best she could, and while hiding her face she left the Common room. She made her way downstairs to the library, for she knew no one else would be in there at this hour. She opened the heavy door, and closed it gently. The library was very dark, so she took our her wand, pointed it at a candelabra on a table, and said "Lumos!" As it lit up, she saw a figure standing directly behind it, dressed in all black…staring right at her…  
  
Her heart leaped. She made an angry face, and stomped her foot like a little girl.  
  
"You! You scared me half to death, do you know that?" Hermione exclaimed, and he did not even smile.   
  
"Now don't tell me you followed me here, did you?" he asked, not taking his eyes off her. Hermione found it was very hard to speak with such eyes penetrating her body.  
  
"N-n-no, I just needed to come and think," she stammered, and she remembered she was going to have it out with him when she found him as she planned in her bedroom. He nodded.  
  
"I know. I saw you come here, actually. I just took the short cut so you would not see me come in. I thought you would not wish to come if you knew I was here," he stated, still not looking away. Hermione saw his skin, glowing in the soft candlelight, just lighting them up and no where else in the library. He looked even more gorgeous and seductive as she had ever seen him.  
  
"That's not true…I did need to talk to you about something, but never mind," Hermione said, wanting to push aside the thought of telling him how she really felt. She was certain he would not care.  
  
_How I wish I could tell her how ravishingly beautiful she looks in this light_....  
  
_She would turn away from me_....  
  
_I have no chance_....  
  
"No, what is it? You found me, tell me what you needed to."  
  
Hermione fidgeted embarrassingly, and cleared her throat. She tried to say it, oh yes she did. She could not make the right words come from her lips, and it was like a 5000 ton weight prevented her vocal cords from producing the necessary words.  
  
"I-I-can't…" she whispered. He stepped closer to her, and her knees weakened.  
  
"Please," he whispered so softly, so provocatively in the most peculiar way. His eyes were like darts through her soul, his presence enough to set her whole being on fire. Oh, she wanted him to say it so she would not have to, but she knew he could never feel that way about her.  
  
"I-I…"  
  
Draco stepped forward, so he was less than one foot in front of her, almost toughing her. Hermione struggled to breathe, and she looked down.  
  
"Yes?" he whispered in the most delicate, gentle way. She felt his hand reach under her chin, so softly, and he tilted her head up ever so slightly so her eyes could meet with his. Their eyes locked, almost sending Hermione into complete oblivion at that second. She could feel his lips coming closer to her, closer so it was almost torturous and painful that they should not touch. She then felt his lips, and he kissed her so tenderly and soft, but all through her, she felt like she was shaking uncontrollably all over. Her body shuddered from the response. Hermione felt a fire within her loins, and it quickly spread all over her small framed body. His hand moved from her chin to her neck, and he began stroking it gently. Hermione moaned softly at his touch, having not experienced anything like it in her lifetime.   
  
They broke away, their breathing each staggered. As their eyes met again, he took her in his arms, and he kissed her again, this time more forcefully, but he was still gentle on her lips. Hermione's hands traveled up to his face, where she ran her hands through his platinum hair. This drove him wild, and he tilted his head back at her touch. They looked into each other's eyes once more, and he brought his hand up to her face as she stroked his hair.   
  
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	5. Danger

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They broke apart when there was a crash at the other side of the room, like something falling over. Hermione jumped. They saw a dark figure run out of the door on the other side of the library. Instantly, Draco ran after whoever it was. Hermione put her hands up in protest, but Draco was already halfway across the library. Rather than following them, she just stayed put.   
  
After about 5 minutes, Draco came briskly walking into the library. He whisked his hair back into place, and set his eyes on Hermione.   
  
"What happened? Who was that?" Hermione asked frantically. Draco looked in the direction of the door.  
  
"I don't know, he got away before I could get a good look at him," Draco said, out of breath. He looked into Hermione's eyes, and took her hand. "We should get going, before he comes back."  
  
Hermione nodded, and looked toward the door again. Could it have been Harry?  
  
Draco and Hermione walked fast up to Gryffindor, and when they arrived at the door, Draco gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and on her hand.  
  
"Until tomorrow," Draco looked into her eyes once more, and Hermione blushed, watching him as he sped off down the hallway. She couldn't help it, she smiled so brightly and she jumped in the air. She could hardly believe it, that Draco didn't reject her! She opened the door into the common room quietly, as to not wake anyone else. She closed the door, and as soon as she turned around she saw Harry standing right beside her.  
  
"Ah! Why are people sneaking up on me all the time?" Hermione gasped. Harry sneered at her, and grabbed her arm. Hermione opened her eyes, wide in fear.  
  
"Let GO of me!" she shrieked, but Harry wouldn't release his iron grip.  
  
"So tell me, were you out with _him_?"  
  
Hermione didn't answer.  
  
"Were you?" Harry grasped her more tightly, making Hermione cry out in pain.  
  
"What is it to you?" Hermione spat. Harry made a malicious smile at her, which made Hermione shiver.  
  
"Tell me. Now!" he grabbed a handful of her curls, and pulled them toward him.  
  
"Yes I was! You should have known, since you saw us!" Hermione winced in pain. Harry released her locks, but still kept his grip on her arm.  
  
"What are you talking about. Stupid girl, seeing things….what is Malfoy doing to you?" Harry shook his head. Hermione tried to yank her arm away, but Harry was just too strong. He kneed her in the stomach. Making her kneel over his arm. He let her drop to the floor, with a heavy thud. She lay there for a few minutes, making sure Harry was not coming back down. Hermione scurried up onto her feet, and ran out of there as fast as she could.  
  
She ran down the corridor, trying not to trip over any loose stones, but trying to still go as fast as humanly possible. She needed to get to him…  
  
Hermione did pause, however, at the entrance to Slytherin. It was so dark, so frightening. It was a lot better than being in Gryffindor, so she continued on her way. When she got to the door, she realized she did not have the password to get in.  
  
"Shit!" she cursed out loud in a whisper. She tried to remember if Draco had given her the password, but then she cursed herself for thinking such a stupid thing. 'Why would Draco give me the password? What an idiot I am..'  
  
She stood there, trying to figure out a solution, when she felt a presence behind her. She froze, but then she slowly started to turn around.  
  
"Miss Granger.." a silky, deep voice murmured. She knew that voice anywhere. She breathed a sigh of relief.   
  
"Why are you out this late at night, and especially at Slytherin….?"  
  
Hermione fumbled with her fingers.   
  
"Umm….I forgot to give something to Draco Malfoy for class…" she lied. Snape raised his eyebrow.  
  
"And what exactly makes you think he would be awake at this hour?"  
  
"Umm I don't know…I'm just hoping he is," she made up again.  
  
"Well, why aren't you going in?"  
  
"I don't have the password, sir."  
  
"Rats Nest," Snape said annoyingly, and the door opened.  
  
"Don't let me catch you here again, Miss Granger. Hurry and give your whatever to Malfoy, and be on your way."  
  
Hermione cheered on the inside, as she walked into Slytherin. Luckily enough for her, Snape walked off then, muttering something about 10 points from Gryffindor. Hermione didn't much care, as she clutched her stomach. She was just about to try and find where Draco slept, when she saw him sitting on the couch. He looked up at her, expressionless, and then he came walking over to her quickly.  
  
"Draco....I'm sorry for coming all the way here…" Hermione tried to explain, and Draco embraced her.  
  
"What's wrong."  
  
"It's Harry…he went crazy! He kneed me in the stomach….I just felt it would be safer here and I had to tell you…." Hermione cried softly, as Draco stroked her hair, holding her in his powerful arms.  
  
"Shhh…It's alright," He soothed, rocking her back and forth. "Stay here tonight, and for as long as you wish."  
  
Hermione looked up at him, tears streaking her soft face. A smile broke through her tears, and she wiped them away, sniffing.  
  
"Thank you, so much."  
  
Draco nodded, and he picked her up. Hermione held tightly onto his neck, burying her head into his shoulder. Draco walked up some stairs, and opened the door to his room. Hermione felt herself being easily placed onto a soft surface, and she opened her eyes. She was on top of Draco's bed. She could feel him sit beside her, after he closed the door gently.  
  
"Is anyone else in here?" She whispered. He tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear.  
  
"No," he whispered. "My father said it would interrupt my studies if I shared a room."  
  
Hermione nodded, smiling on the inside. It felt like she had been waiting for that moment for so long, to lay in his own bed. She savored the feeling of it, thinking, 'This is where he sleeps at night, right where I lay.'  
  
"Will I sleep in that other empty bed?" Hermione asked, and she saw Draco hint a smile.   
  
"If you wish, Miss Granger, but I would like it very much if you slept next to me tonight."  
  
Looking into those intense, extremely sexy eyes, Hermione could never say no. She wanted more than anything to sleep next to him…  
  
She smiled. "I would be more than happy to, Mr. Malfoy."  
  
For the first time she had ever seen, Draco genuinely smiled. It was a toyful smile, and she could see that he was amused. She couldn't help but laugh a little. Draco breathed in, and he let the smile go. He just stared intently down on her, and she could find the power to do nothing but do the same. Draco put his arms around her, and lifted her to join her lips with his. Hermione embraced him around his neck, and pulled him down ever so slightly on to her.   
  
Draco broke the kiss gently, and stroked the side of her soft face.   
  
"Goodnight, Draco," Hermione whispered.  
  
"Goodnight, Hermione," Draco said, lifting the covers over her, tucking her in.   
  
He watched her as she slept, admiring her exquisite beauty . He felt a pain whenever he looked or thought about her.  
  
_How I love her.  
  
Und dann hat er sie geküsst  
  
Wo das Meer zu Ende ist  
  
Ihre Lippen schwach und bla  
  
Und seine Augen werden na_


	6. Without You

A/N: SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING SOONER!!! I have been wicked busy this weekend! And, Yes, I am German…I fxcking love Rammstein… the last lines mean roughly: and then he kissed her, where the sea ends, her lips, delicate and pale, and his eyes tear up for all of you who wanted to know! I'm so glad you like my story!!! ;)  
  
Hermione's eyes felt heavy as she tried to open them. She stretched her arms, and she felt her hand touch something soft. She quickly opened her eyes, and saw that she had stroked Draco's cheek. She smiled.  
  
"Oops. Sorry," she laughed a little. Draco actually smiled slightly, and he just continued staring at her.   
  
"Do you know what time it is?" he asked, a hint of humor in his voice. Hermione's eyes opened wide, and she jumped out of bed. Draco snickered.  
  
"I'm just kidding. It's only 7."  
  
"Ahhhh! Draco!" she screamed and playfully hit him, laughing. "Yeah, you think your soo funny!"  
  
Draco looked into her eyes, and for a moment, they just looked at each other, saying nothing. Then, Hermione jumped as a knock was heard at the door. Draco rose from his seat, and went to see who it was. As he opened the door, a flash of red hair ran into the room.  
  
"Hermione! I knew you'd be in here…naughty naughty! Anyways I need to talk to you, NOW!" she looked at Draco with eyes that said 'Leave!' Draco looked at Hermione, and left the room, quietly closing the door behind him.  
  
"Ginny…how did you get in?" Hermione asked, squinting her eyes. Ginny laughed.  
  
"Silly…I go OUT with a Slytherin! Anyway, I've been hearing a lot of things about you, and I was thinking NO! Hermione wouldn't do that! But…I just had to ask you for myself," Ginny smiled brightly. Hermione gulped.  
  
"Wh…what kinds of things?" Hermione asked nervously.  
  
"Well…some people said that you've been …doing stuff with some boys on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team," Ginny said quietly. Hermione appeared shocked.   
  
"What??? Ginny, that's so not true! You've got to believe me! Who told you this?" Hermione shrieked.   
  
"Um…maybe Harry was just joking?" Ginny smiled nervously. You could almost see the smoke coming out of Hermione's ears.  
  
"Ginny, Harry has been telling you that because he is very mad that I've been talking to Draco a lot lately…he's just mad," Hermione tried to convince Ginny.  
  
"What do you mean me? He's been telling the whole Gryffindor population! I get it that it's all a joke but I wanted to hear it from you, because I know you wouldn't lie to your dear old Ginny," she said, and Hermione felt the swear pouring from her. 'He's been telling everyone that? All lies!'  
  
"Well, gotta run Moine. See ya at lunch, alright old girl?" Ginny got up and walked out of the room, waving. Hermione buried her face in her hands. Draco came back in, and he saw her in distress. He rushed to her side, and put his strong arm around her back.  
  
"Draco…he's telling everyone I'm some sort of whore.." Hermione whispered. Draco closed his eyes, and he breathed in.  
  
"How could he do this…all because I'm talking to you! What is his problem!?" Hermione cried out. Draco brought his arm back to his side. An odd look came over him.  
  
"I will just have to stop talking to you," he said tonelessly and quietly. Hermione turned to face him, her face twisted with confusion.   
  
"Why!?" she said, her voice pained and distraught.  
  
"Because I can not have you lose your best friend over someone like myself."  
  
Hermione shook her head, and she put her hands around Draco's broad shoulders.  
  
"No! I would rather lose Harry and everyone else than to stop talking to you! Don't say such things!" Hermione cried, as tears fell from her eyes, marking her face streaming down, to fall on her clothes. Draco sighed, and looked away.  
  
"You need him. I am nothing compared to him, and I will NOT let you lose him over me! Why don't you understand that, you filthy Mudblood!" Draco yelled, and tried to conceal the tears that were just behind his eyes, fighting to get out. Oh, it hurt him to say such things to her. He knew he had to say it, or else she would never go back to Harry. That was the way it was supposed to be. Hermione, and Harry, best friends forever. He knew he did not fit in that picture, and he never would. He did it because he loved her, and he admitted to himself that he did, and that he always would. But, he knew what he had to do. He got up, and he left Hermione crying in a chair.  
  
_Niemals ohne dich,   
  
In meinem Herzen.  
  
Obgleich ich weiß,  
  
Wir müssen getrennt sein.  
  
English:  
  
Never without you,  
  
In my heart.  
  
Although I know,   
  
We must be apart._


	7. Denial

'Why would Draco do this to me?'  
  
Hermione ran out of the room, knocking a few things over accidentally on her way out. Draco watched from a far corner of the common room, so she would not see him. His heart was in so much pain, it felt to him like he was dying. People stopped and stared at her as she ran out, crying like she had gone mad. Draco walked briskly up to his room and shut the door, so they would not ask him any questions. He was in such contempt with himself that he did not even feel the one tear that still lingered on his cheek.  
  
Hermione ran back as fast as she could, fast as her legs could carry her. Luckily there were not many people out yet, so she did not have to deal with questioning stares.   
  
"Hermione."  
  
She looked around, not seeing anyone. She knew the voice.  
  
"What do you want!" Hermione screamed, as tears streamed down her face. She knew it was him. He stepped out of a corner, and stared straight at her. Hermione tried to wipe the tears from her eyes, but they kept on coming, thicker and faster.   
  
"What EVER could be the problem?" Harry sweetly said, and he smiled warmly. Hermione spat in his face.  
  
"Get away from me! Why couldn't you have just DIED!" Hermione shrieked, her voice echoing on the stone walls. Harry shook his head, and looked down for a second at the floor, only to look up at her again.  
  
"What was that for. You'd just better be lucky that I didn't slap your ugly face for that, bitch," Harry said so calmly, and he took a few steps toward her. Hermione backed up quickly, her hair sticking to her wet cheeks and getting in her eyes.   
  
"Stay away from me! I'm warning you!"  
  
Harry laughed, not because he thought it was funny, but because he was insane.  
  
"Or what. You don't have Malfoy anymore to come and SAVE you," Harry said sarcastically, making a pouty face.  
  
"Yes I do!" Hermione lied. She knew that she had to lie, because she was so afraid what Harry might do to her if he thought she was so weak, without anyone to protect her. She wondered also how Harry knew about Draco, but he was very smart. He probably figured that the only way Hermione could cry so much is if she lost him.  
  
Harry gave her a look of disbelief.   
  
"I don't think so."  
  
Hermione's heart was racing, and she could feel the sweat almost dropping from her skin.   
  
"What do you mean. Of course I still have him!" Hermione wiped the hair out of her face. "Why wouldn't I?"  
  
"Maybe because your running down the hallway, crying your eyes out. You have never done that before."  
  
"I just heard one of my friends back home died!" Hermione quickly made up. She was not about to let down for a second. If she couldn't have Draco because of Harry, she sure did not want Harry then. But she was not about to let Harry know that. A strange look came over Harry.  
  
"Oh! How sorry I am for you Mudbloods! " Harry took a bow. "I must be going, food calls me."  
  
Hermione sighed, and she watched as Harry left her, trotting down the corridor as happy as can be. Hermione had stopped crying for the second. She needed to eat. 


	8. Feeling

Thank you all so much for the wonderful reviews…sorry I have been not updating as much as I'd like to but I have been busy with finals and all of that! Enjoy anyway!  
  
She knew she could not function if she did not have food.  
  
Hermione made her way to the great hall, because it was almost time for breakfast now. She averted her eyes from the Slytherin table, and she sat on the side of her table not facing it. She couldn't bear to see Draco. As more and more students filled in, Hermione just stared down at her plate.  
  
"Hermione! Why so sad?" she heard a happy voice say. Ginny. Hermione looked up at her, just in time to see Draco out of the corner of her eyes. She cursed herself for letting herself look up. Ginny sat down, and put her arm around Hermione.   
  
"Seriously…what's the problem?" Ginny asked, but as soon as she saw the food she started eating. Hermione sighed, feeling like she was going to cry again.  
  
"I don't want to talk about it right now," Hermione mumbled, hoping Ginny would get the point. Ginny nodded.  
  
"Ya, so how's Malfoy doing?" Ginny asked, stuffing food into her mouth. Hermione felt the tears well up in her eyes.  
  
"Excuse me," she said angrily and softly. Hermione got up, and she ran out of the great hall. Some people noticed, but Ginny just sat there.  
  
"What'd I say?"  
  
Hermione ran to the potions classroom, hoping Snape wouldn't find her there. She sat next to one of the desks on the floor and let it all go. She tried to be quiet, but she didn't care who heard her or if she got kicked out of Hogwarts at this point. The boy she loved, the one she finally got a chance with, the boy of her dreams, didn't want her. This only made her cry harder. Her whole body shook. She heard footsteps, and she covered her face. She expected Snape to give her detention.  
  
"I saw you leave."  
  
Hermione didn't stop crying. She didn't say anything, either. Neither did he.   
  
He sat down next to her, not caring if his black robes got a little dirty. He brushed the hair out of his face. Hermione felt a string arm go around her back, and she jumped up.   
  
"Get away from me!" she yelled, and tears streamed down her pretty face. He slowly rose.  
  
"I'm sorry," he said softly, and Hermione had a look of disgust on her face.   
  
"Why should I accept your apology? Because you broke my heart? Uh…NO!"  
  
Draco just stood there, silently. She was right.  
  
"Hermione…you aren't the only one," he quietly spoke, and Hermione laughed sarcastically.   
  
"Yeah? Is that so?"  
  
"Yeah, actually…I know you don't believe me. This hurts me far worse than you, Hermione!" Draco cried out. Hermione crossed her arms.  
  
"Then why did you do it? Hmm?"  
  
"I knew I had to, for you."  
  
"For ME? Ya, if you had a BRAIN in that ugly head then you would know, the best thing for me would have been YOU!"  
  
For a moment they just stood there in silence. Draco knew all of that, and he desperately wanted to tell her so. Hermione pivoted on her heels and walked out, speeding past Draco. All he could do was watch her.  
  
He knew it was too late now. He stayed in his room most of the time, not talking to anyone. But that was not unlike the way he was before. But this time, he didn't talk to anyone, nor did he come to meals. He always skipped Potions class, making it up with Professor Snape after hours, which Snape didn't mind because Draco helped him clean up. He wasn't a stupid man, and he noticed how even more unusually glum Malfoy had been recently. He thought of questioning the boy, but then he decided against it. The students matters were private, after all.  
  
One night, as Draco swept the Potions classroom floor, Snape was sitting in silence reviewing grades. All of a sudden, his thoughts came to Hermione. Not like he had stopped thinking about her any time, but he felt odd. He felt as if there was something wrong, something terribly wrong. He stopped sweeping, and Snape looked up at the panic-faced boy. He scowled.  
  
"And why did you stop?" the silky voice muttered. Draco looked frighteningly pale, even more so then ever.  
  
"I don't know Professor. I just have this…feeling that something is wrong," Draco said, knowing he wasn't making any sense.  
  
"I've seen this happen with other students…just go," Snape sighed, and flicked his wrist toward the door. Draco ran as fast as he could up to the Gryffindor tower, his heart racing. And what would he do if it was just a feeling after all? Well, it was pretty much enough of a feeling to take a chance on it. Something was happening to Hermione, and he didn't want anything to happen to her.  
  
Review! 


	9. The fall

Draco ran, faster than the speed of a thousand mustangs crossing the plains. He had to get to Hermione, his Hermione. Oh, it pained him to think that she was not truly his, like he longer for her to be with all of his heart. He was thinking so hard, that he didn't notice the overturned cobblestone in the hall. With the blink of an eye, he was on the floor.  
  
Hermione backed against the bedroom wall. Perspiration was forming rapidly on her brow. Her heartbeat was as strong as lightening, and as loud. He took a step toward her. Hermione shut her eyes in terror.  
  
"Don't be afraid, Hermione, sweet princess." he whispered. He looked mad. His green eyes sparkled from behind his tousled raven hair. A sick smile on his face, made Hermione shiver and with she was anywhere in the world then with him.  
  
Where is he…  
  
As he came toward her, she braced herself as best as she could. All of her muscles tightened, and she turned her head to the right. He laughed.   
  
"What do you think…I am going to do?" he whispered mockingly, but he was so close that she could feel his warm, moist, putrid breath on her face.   
  
"Please….please just leave me be," Hermione begged, as he slid his index finger from her wet cheek, down, down over her breast, pausing for a moment. Hermione gasped, shutting her eyes tighter. He chuckled. He leaned right into her hair, his lips almost toughing her ear.  
  
"You know you want it," he mumbled, licking the top of her ear. Hermione felt like she was going to throw up. She had never felt such repulse in her whole life, and never had she imagined it. She hated him so much.  
  
"Get….away….from…me!" Hermione growled through clenched teeth. He backed away, looking confused.  
  
"What did you just say to me?" he asked, an eyebrow raised. She spat in his face.  
  
"You heard me!"  
  
He sent a hard blow to her right cheek, sending her flying onto the bed. Before she could react, he climbed on top of her, not letting her up. Hermione started bawling uncontrollably. She could not hold it together, and she didn't care if she looked like a fool. He laughed at her, and started unbuttoning her blouse. She didn't even bother to fight him, she knew what was coming to her. She just turned her head to the side.  
  
"Draco…" she whispered, and closed her eyes as he rode her, deep and hard. The last thing she could remember before it went black, was him telling her to not tell a soul or he'd kill her by doing the exact same thing.  
  
He woke up in the infirmary, he wasn't sure when or how he had gotten there. He slowly opened his eyes, which were very heavy, like he had not opened them in forever. There was no one around.  
  
"Hello? Anyone?" he called out, hoping for a response. Something on the other side of the room broke. A woman came rushing toward him, her eyes wide.  
  
"Someone call Dumbledore!" She screamed, and he winced. What was the big deal? He was just waking up…  
  
A second later, Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, and a few other teachers came rushing in, looking shocked.  
  
"Young man! Your awake! We were all starting to consider the fact that you were gone," Dumbledore said, removing his hat. The others nodded.   
  
"Um," he said, very confused. "What's the matter?"  
  
"Well, dear boy, you've been asleep for almost a month now. Concussion," McGonagall said, frowning. Draco was baffled. A concussion? From what?  
  
"You were running in the hall, and you tripped and split your skull open on the stone. Filch saw everything."  
  
"What would I be doing running in the hall?" he asked, and the others looked at each other.  
  
"You with me that night. You said something about an odd feeling that something wasn't right, so I let you go. You bolted right out of the classroom," Snape murmured. Draco shook his head.  
  
"What are you talking about? What feeling? I was never with you, especially after hours, Professor. And where is Hermione?" Draco asked furiously. What did they take him for? An idiot? He knew nothing of staying after with Snape, nor running and falling. So how could he have gotten this Coma? He didn't care, as long as he could see his Hermione again. The last thing he remembered was watching her fall asleep in his bed that night, she looked so beautiful…  
  
Review! 


	10. Coma

Draco's eyes were wide with anger and a hint of fear. What were they talking about? Ignorant fools.   
  
"I demand to know what is going on!" he yelled, and everyone stopped talking.   
  
"Mr. Malfoy, let me explain this to you. You are probably suffering some memory loss from the blow to your skull, and the coma. But, you fell after staying with Professor Snape one night. We know you don't remember it, but the professor would not lie," Dumbledore calmly said, looking at Snape, who was glaring at Draco.   
  
"I don't presume he would, sir. It's just all so much…I'm sure you're all right," Draco mumbled, trying to keep his emotions inside. He wouldn't get anywhere yelling at them, he would only get kicked out. They continued to talk to him about the matter, and he just sat patiently until he could see his Hermione again. They hadn't mentioned her; wouldn't she have wanted to know he was awake? Hadn't she came to the Infirmary to check up on him while he was in the coma?  
  
Mrs. Pomfrey insisted that Draco stay the night, to be watched for any more things wrong with him, but he refused.   
  
"I'll just go back up to my room, I think. I need to get some things organized, for class tomorrow," Draco tried to persuade her, and she sighed. Snape pulled him aside, and whispered the Slytherin password so he wouldn't have any trouble getting in when he went back.  
  
"Go right ahead, Mr. Malfoy, but if you complain of a severe headache, don't come running to me!" she sniveled angrily and scurried away. Draco turned right around and briskly walked out of the Infirmary. He noted that it must be very late, since there were absolutely no students about. The only clock was in the library, so he decided to go check that out. He opened the heavy door, and closed it gently. He didn't think anyone would actually be in there, but he didn't want to draw attention to himself by making loud noises. He proceeded to the other end of the library, when he spotted a dark figure at the end of one of the back tables, almost hidden from sight. Curious, Draco moved over to it, studying it in the dark. It was sprawled out on top of 3 books, all open. It was sleeping, whatever it was. Or dead. But he knew that was highly unlikely. It was probably just a student who had been studying, and happened to fall asleep.   
  
As he moved closer to it, he noted the long hair that fell over it's shoulders gracefully, but it was a little matted and stringy. The face was bony, frighteningly so. It was definitely a girl, he figured. He put his hands up to her shoulder, and as he shook her, she was so light that if he applied just a whisk of more pressure, she would have fallen over. The shoulder's bones stuck out, almost like a skeleton. There was a little moonlight from the windows on her cheek, and he saw it was purple and bruised. Whoever this poor girl was, she was being beaten and starved. Who was like that at Hogwarts?  
  
As he shook her gently, she opened her eyes. Hollow and dark, she looked up at him. Her open mouth gaped at the sight of him, and he could really see her face well now. He looked closer, shaking his head. No, it couldn't be!  
  
She reached out for his face. Her fingers were cool, and a little of her sleeve hung off her arm. He could see how bony and deathly skinny her arms were. He shuddered. He looked back into her eyes, which had horrible, horrible, dark bags underneath them; like she had not slept in years. Her cheekbones stuck out so much, and her skin was clinging to them for dear life.   
  
She tried to stand, but she had to attempt to do so twice. Draco just stood, holding in his tears as he saw what she had become. He embraced her, her frail body shaking uncontrollably in his strong arms. A single tear fell down his soft cheek, and he looked down at her. She was beaming.  
  
"I..I never thought I would ever be able to hug you again," she whispered, hugging him as tightly as he could. He kissed her forehead, and closed his eyes. It was like whatever was not right between them was all gone now, after all this time. But….what happened to her? How had she become like this?  
  
He took her by the arms, and he could fit his entire hand around her upper arms so his fingers overlapped each other.   
  
"Hermione, what has happened to you!" he whispered, although crying out. He demanded to know. She looked into his steel blue eyes, and instantly, hers welled up with thick tears. She bawled uncontrollably, but quietly. She threw herself against his chest, and he pulled her away.  
  
"Tell me," he whispered, moving her stray hairs away from her face. She shook her head, still crying. He couldn't stand this. Once he found out who or what had did this, he would kill them. But, he knew she probably wouldn't tell him here. He took her skinny, small hand gently, as if he would break it if he did otherwise. He started to lead her to his room, and she seemed to know, so she followed.   
  
It was dark and silent as they made their way to the Slytherin dungeon, and when they came to the common room, Draco was relieved to see that everyone was asleep. He led Hermione to his room, which was only his. She walked in, and sat down on his bed, painfully remembering what had happened in that room over a month ago. It seemed like so long ago….  
  
Draco shut and locked his door, and he went to sit next to her. He could see how she really looked in the light, when he pointed his wand at the candelabra, saying "Lumos!"  
  
She was deathly pale. In fact, he probably wouldn't have been able to tell her apart from someone who was dead from starvation. She looked like a corpse….  
  
He put his arm around her back, and he could feel her ribs and backbones. He couldn't hold her too tightly, as her spine seemed as if it would pierce through his arm. Hermione started to sob.  
  
"I can't tell you, Draco! I just can't!"  
  
Draco nodded.  
  
"Yes, you can. And you will," he assured, as she shook her head.  
  
"No! He will kill me!"  
  
Draco stopped for a second. He?  
  
"Who are you talking about?" he demanded. Hermione looked up into his eyes, stopping her sobbing for a moment. She let it slip. She looked around nervously, and she fell into his lap.  
  
"That night you fell into the come….was the first night he came to me. He said if I told anyone at all, he could come back every night and do the same thing. But he did anyway, even though I never said a word or told a soul," she softly said clearly, as if she were in a trance. Draco stroked her hair, nodding.  
  
"Can you tell me what he did to you," he said quietly, gently, looking straight ahead. She nodded.  
  
"Every night, he would come to my room, and do what he would with me. Make me do things to him. Some nights, it would hurt so much that it would be difficult to fall asleep. I gave up, Draco. I knew you were never coming back, when I heard about your coma. And if you did, I knew you wouldn't care about me. I stopped eating, but I kept my studies up. I needed something to focus myself on, to not die. But I felt I had died, Draco, inside me I felt dead. And I knew there was no way to revive me, except if you came back to me. I always had this feeling, …. this small glimmer of hope that you might wake one day, saving me, taking me away from all of this pain and torture. And you did," she continued, and Draco nodded, still stroking her hair.  
  
"Why didn't you think I would have cared about you?" he asked. More he didn't remember?  
  
"Don't you remember?" she asked.  
  
"No…I think I may have suffered some memory loss from that coma," Draco whispered.   
  
"What is the last thing you remember? I will fill in the rest," Hermione offered.  
  
"Well, the last thing I could see was you, sleeping in my bed, and I was watching you, thinking how beautiful you were and how much I…how much I loved you."  
  
Hermione looked up at him.   
  
"The next morning, you told me you wouldn't see me anymore because it wasn't us who was meant to be, but Harry Potter. You said it wasn't the way my life was supposed to work out, and I left. Within the next few days, I didn't see you much, but then we talked, or rather fought, and I told you how you were wrong, and that I needed you, not him. Then, I heard about your accident," she explained. It made sense to him now.  
  
"Thank you, Hermione. Now, will you tell me, who has been doing this to you?"  
  
"The one who you thought was so 'good' for me, Draco."  
  
Was he ever wrong.  
  
Review!!! 


	11. Letter

Thank you for all of the wonderful reviews! Keep them coming!  
  
Draco just stared at her, his eyes wide with surprise, if that. She nodded. Draco shook his head, trying not to imagine it. He stood up, and started for the door, Hermione running after him.  
  
"No! Draco…you mustn't go to him!" She shrieked, and Draco put his hands on her shoulders. His light blue stare pierced through her.  
  
"I'm not. I'm not that stupid, Hermione," he laughed a little, not because it was funny, but because it would be ridiculous to go after Potter. He would only kill Hermione, or worse, put her through more pain. He had to work on a plan of his own, a plan not to be spoken of, not even to her.   
  
"I'm just going for a walk, to clear my mind."  
  
Hermione looked upset, almost frantic.  
  
"And what if he comes here!?" she stammered nervously. "What am I supposed to do then?!"  
  
"Hermione, he doesn't know the password to Slytherin."  
  
Hermione looked about nervously, trying to make up any excuse to make him stay. Truth was, she didn't want him to go because she was afraid, and the fast that she hadn't been alone with him in over a month.   
  
"He's a very powerful wizard! He can do anything," she tried her best to convince him. He shook his head.  
  
"How about this. I put a lock on my door, and I run down and get you something to eat," he suggested, and that idea seemed to go over significantly well with her. She reluctantly nodded, and stepped out of his way so he could approach the door. He silently thanked her with a short hug, and he left, closing the door tightly and sealing it with a spell. That should do the trick, he thought to himself.   
  
Hermione walked around Draco's room, looking at all of the things in it. She might as well, she thought, for she had nothing else to occupy herself with. She couldn't even get out if she wanted to; the door was sealed. So, she found herself walking over to a desk in front of a window, where she could see snow falling gently outside. She smiled at the sight of it, and she turned her eyes down to the desk. There were a few books on the desk, one overturned with about halfway opened. Under it, she saw a strange piece of paper, and she looked around before her curiosity got the best of her, and she picked it up.   
  
It appeared to be a letter, and although it looked very interesting, she could not read it, for it was all in German. She sighed with annoyance, and tried to scan the letter for any clues as to who it may be from. At the end, there was a signing with the name of Gustof. Not a typical German name, which Hermione found interesting. She remembered something she had learned from Snape, in class when she had came upon a foreign text in one of her extra credit assignments. He had taught her a little translation spell, which he did not tell to many students, because he encouraged them to actually learn the language instead of just taking the easy way out.   
  
She took her wand out, and she cast the spell on the letter. It glowed, and she saw the words rearranging themselves on the page, forming English words. The letter went something like this:  
  
Dear Cousin,  
  
I have no one else to turn to, you must understand. It has been such a trouble for me to reach anyone, and I think only of you. I am tired, hungry, and living here makes me sick most of the time. My heart sometimes burns for you, only you dear cousin. Come away, live with me, forget your sorrows. Help me stray from this place of filth. Hear soon from you soon Cousin.  
  
Your Beloved,  
  
Gustof  
  
Hermione put the letter back on the desk after she had looked at it for a few minutes. Who was this Gustof character? And why was he calling Draco beloved, and telling of how his heart burns for him? Hermione did not want to picture her Draco having some kind of sick relation with his male cousin. She made a disgusted face, and she turned away from the desk.   
  
Strange, also, Hermione did not know that Draco knew German. Possibly his cousin and he wrote back and forth in that as to not have anyone discover their writings. She would ask him about the letter, but she would not say she knew what it said. It made her curiosity go on fire. What did this mean?   
  
Draco walked quickly along the hallway, looking straight ahead. No, he wasn't about to tell Dumbledore about what he had discovered about Potter. He was going to deal with this himself, but even he didn't know how yet. Dealing with Potter was an extremely dangerous thing, he was quite aware of that. But, it was the only way he could make it stop…and to get revenge. No one did that to his Hermione.  
  
Review!  
  
Sorry so short…more to come soon! 


	12. Late Night

Thank you for the reviews!  
  
Hermione sat on the edge of Draco's bed, remembering what it felt like to sleep in it. That time felt like it was so long ago. She lie back on it, closing her eyes. She smiled, imagining Draco there, next to her. She imagined him leaning over her, and she could almost feel the pressure on the bed. She imagined him stroking the side of her face, and stroking her hair. She opened her eyes.  
  
Hermione gasped, but she could not scream. He was too fast…and she had not been imagining the pressure on the bed, and she felt the stroking of her face…although she did not want this. She hated him. He laughed quietly.  
  
"You thought you could barricade yourself away from me, while your knight in shining armor went to slay the dragon?"   
  
Hermione's heart beat faster and louder than a thousand drums. She had him in her room before, but this was different. This time, she didn't think he would return. She tried to cry out, to scream, but nothing came from her lips. He laughed again.  
  
"You are so…," he looked down on her gently. "Ugly," as he slapped her hard across her cheek. She cried.  
  
He rolled his eyes.  
  
"Shut up."  
  
He proceeded to do what he had done every night for the past month. He violated, abused, and humiliated Hermione to the point of mere exasperation. After he was done, he left the same way he had came. He left Hermione huddled on the bed, crying softly, hugging herself for dear life.  
  
Draco made his way back to Slytherin, walking a little faster. He didn't want to be away from Hermione for long. He didn't think anything would happen, after all, the door was sealed. He laughed at the thought. Ha, Potter. I'd like to see you try and get to her now, he thought.   
  
His thoughts went from Hermione to something he had received earlier that day. All of his mail had been sent to his room during his coma, and he hadn't really got a chance to read it all yet. He had just scanned through the letters, to see if anything good had come to him. His eyes had stopped on one letter: the one from Gustof Novotný.   
  
He had last heard from his Czech cousin last fall, when he had written to him about money problems. Gustof lived in a very poor section of Prague, and he wrote to Draco for money to get him out of there. He wrote usually in German because, it was the only language they mutually spoke, and because Gustof was paranoid about the Czech government to find out about his writing to a Wizard.   
  
Gustof was about Draco's age, maybe a year older. He lived alone, and he was terribly lonely. He always asked Draco to leave the magic world once and for all, and to run away with him. Draco always made some excuse about how his father would not approve. He knew it always broke Gustof's heart, but he was not about to go live in a strange country with a cousin who he believed, was a little insane.   
  
He quickly got rid of the thoughts about Gustof, because to Draco it was a very unpleasant topic. He just thought he would probably write Gustof back another time within the next few days, and he didn't want to worry about his cousin anymore.  
  
Draco opened the door into the common room, and walked though, as he heard someone snoring in one of the rooms. He chuckled. He double stepped up the stairs into the little hallway where his room was located. He happily whistled, but abruptly stopped because he remembered how there were sleeping people nearby. He un-charmed the door, and he walked in, closing the door gently behind him.  
  
When he looked over at the bed, he saw her. She was curled up into a little ball, shaking all over. He ran to her, and put his arms around her frail, jittery body. He shook his head in disbelief. How did he get in? He had made sure the room was securely locked. Unless he was using illegal apparation, for which Dumbledore would already have known. Anything illegal that anyone did, he knew about it first hand.   
  
He lifted Hermione's head up, and she turned away. She whispered something, over and over. He leaned closer to hear her better, and he jolted back when he heard.  
  
"I..I told you so.." she whispered. Draco shut his eyes tight, as if he were feeling so much pain for her. He wished it could have been him in her place; anything to spare her from this pain. He wished he could do anything to make him stop, but Draco just didn't know what to do for her.   
  
He just put his arms around her, and rocked her through the night. For now on, Potter would not catch a glimpse of her without Draco being alongside her, protecting her. She would not go anywhere alone. 


End file.
